Common resistance to Fusarium head blight in Brazilian wheat cultivars

• Published in: Scientia agricola 2018-09, Vol.75 (5), p.426-431
• Main Authors: Mendes, Gabriela da Rocha Lemos, Ponte, Emerson Medeiros Del, Feltrin, Ana Carla, Badiale-Furlong, Eliana, Oliveira, Antônio Costa de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; mycotoxins; point-inoculation; spray-inoculation; visual assessment
• ISSN: 1678-992X; 1678-992X
• DOI: 10.1590/1678-992x-2016-0407

Mycotoxin levels in Fusarium head blight (FHB) infections can be difficult to quantify. The relationship between mycotoxin and disease is not consistent and it is not clear if wheatpathogen interaction is of significance in regions where more than one Fusarium species with distinct trichothecene production ability co-exists. This study aimed to investigate whether a set of eight Brazilian wheat genotypes, varying in resistance according to classification by the breeder, exhibit a common or differential resistance to Fusarium graminearum (Fgra) (deoxynivalenolproducing) and Fusarium meridionale (nivalenol-producing) (Fmer) using full-spike and central spikelet inoculation (type II resistance). Fgra was generally more aggressive than Fmer based on the percentage of diseased spikes (99 and 84 %, respectively) and number of diseased spikelets (mean 2.8 and 2.0, respectively) below the central spikelet. The genotype-pathogen species interaction was not significant, but there were differences between the genotypes, with BRS 194 and BRS 327 being the least and most resistant, respectively, based on severity ratings. The incidence of Fusarium-damaged kernel (FDK, %) was not affected by species, but two genotypes (BRS Parrudo and BRS 327) showed a lower incidence of FDK. There were substantial variations in the accumulation of deoxynivalenol and nivalenol among the genotypes, reaching maxima of 691.2 µg g−1 and 355.2 µg g−1, respectively, suggesting that Fgra is a more potent producer of trichothecene. Our data confirm prior resistance classifications by the breeders and suggest that the use of a single highly aggressive Fgra isolate may be sufficient for effective screening for FHB resistance. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the accumulation of resistance to trichothecene.